Agreement Reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations - Transitional ...

4.7.2 Northern Ireland Office Public Bodies
At March 2003, the level of female representation in Northern Ireland Office public
bodies was 36% (in March 2001, it was 42%). The Northern Ireland Office’s Diversity
Action Plan, which appears in ‘Opening Up Public Appointments 2003-2006’ 35 , sets a goal
of increasing the proportion of public appointments held by women to 45% by 2006;
given the decline this does not seem achievable. More information is required to explain
the fall in the number of women represented in public bodies.
4.7.3 Northern Ireland Civil Service
An improving picture presents with regard to the civil service. At 1 January 2002, women
represented over 54% of all non-industrial staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The
percentage of women at Deputy Principal level increased from 22% in 1997 to 28% in
2002; the percentage of women at Senior Principal/Principal level increased from 17% in
1997 to 24% in 2002. In May 2005 the Northern Ireland Civil Service announced a goal of
at least 19% female representation in administrative posts in the Senior Civil Service by
December 2005. Female representation at this level increased from 10% in 1997 to 16% in
2002. In January 2002, 71% of the more junior Administrative Assistants and
Administrative Officers in the Northern Ireland Civil Service were female. 36
In the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,
Article 7 requests that States take ‘all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination
against women in the political and public life of the country’. The Equality Commission
submission to CEDAW 37 advises that while Northern Ireland has its own Central
Appointments Unit there has not been a strategic promotional initiative aimed at
encouraging women to apply for public roles since the former Equal Opportunities
Commission for Northern Ireland ran an awareness campaign in the mid-1990s. There is
concern that the public appointment process remains gender biased and that procedures
and decision-making are still not sufficiently open and transparent. 38 The post of an
Independent Commissioner for Public Appointments was established in 1996 in response
to overwhelming concern over public appointments with the aim of ‘ensuring a fair, open
and transparent process that produces quality outcomes and heightens public
confidence'. 39
4.8 Women’s Participation in Other Areas
A report on gender by the OFMDFM noted the lack of disaggregated statistics: ‘Apart
from data on formal politics and public appointments, data on women in decision-making
roles in Northern Ireland is very poor’ and has made recommendations for key indicators
on decision-making. 40 Observing that historically women have been under-represented, the
report notes that: ‘A further problem is that many women, while active in community
groups, are reluctant to involve themselves in political parties or formal politics’. The
35 Cabinet Office Public Appointments, Delivering Diversity in Public Appointments, 2003
www.publicappointments.gov.uk
36 OFMDFM Gender Matters, A Consultation Document: Towards a cross-departmental strategic
framework to promote gender equality for women and men 2005-2015
37 Equality Commission Submission to CEDAW, April 2003
38 Ibid.
39 Sixth Annual Report, Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland
40 Gender breakdown of representatives in formal politics: MPs, MEPs, MLAs, Councillors, Public
Appointments. Gender breakdown of senior positions in: Public sector workforces, including the civil
service, the judiciary, courts, police, teaching, and health; Business; Legal Profession; Trade Unions;
Voluntary Sector. OFMDFM Gender Matters, A Consultation Document: Towards a cross-departmental
strategic framework to promote gender equality for women and men 2005-2015
14